


Compromises

by dracoqueen22



Category: Justice League & Justice League Unlimited (Cartoons)
Genre: A Kiss, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Schmoop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-16
Updated: 2015-05-16
Packaged: 2018-03-30 21:38:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3952690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dracoqueen22/pseuds/dracoqueen22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Wally asks a question and Bruce gives him an answer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Compromises

“Do you ever smile?”  
  
He listened to the _squeak squeak rustle_ of Wally swaying in his chair, pushing his weight from one foot to the other. In motion, always in motion. It was a consequence of being the Flash.   
  
He let Wally sit in his chair if only to keep him in one place. Because if Wally wandered around the Cave then he Touched things and Bruce did not like Wally Touching things because that often resulted in him Breaking things. Things which could be fixed, or Wally would fix at superspeed, but still. Broken things. Bruce did not like Broken things.   
  
“Do you?” Bruce countered. His eyes focused on the monitors and his fingers tapped away on the keyboard, but he was fully engaged with Wally.   
  
It was the concession he had made. If Wally was present and he was not actively working on a pressing case, Wally would get his attention. So long as he could be allowed to put some effort in on the computer. Crime had decreased in Gotham, but Batman was still needed.   
  
There was one constant he could not completely eradicate: supervillains refused to rehabilitate and the police were ill-equipped to handle their category of madness.   
  
_We're all mad here._  
  
Sometimes, Batman thought that there was some truth to be found in the Mad Hatter's frequent soliloquies.  
  
Wally scoffed. “I'm always smiling,” he said. _Scuff, scuff, scuff_ went his tennis shoes across the concrete. He could be up and dressed in a matter of seconds. And it was cold in the Batcave, he complained.   
  
Hunger, too, had been a constant complaint until Alfred had seen fit to stock a snack box for Wally's consumption. Wally was Alfred's favorite.   
  
Bruce paused and glanced over his shoulder. Wally had folded his arms across the back of the chair, resting his chin upon them. His green eyes were focused on Bruce, bright with curiosity.   
  
“That's my point.” Two quick presses of his finger and he'd saved his work, though the scan would continue in the background. He turned toward Wally. “No one's that happy.”   
  
_Swing. Swing. Swing_. Wally frowned. “No one's that broody either. I know you can smile. I've seen pictures. Dick showed me.”   
  
Dick poked his nose into people's business because he could never let well enough alone. And Bruce had not needed the reminder that Wally was only a few years older than his ward. Or that they were best friends either.   
  
This was awkward enough as it was. Whatever this was.   
  
Also, way to redirect the conversation. Wally was far cleverer than he let others think. Just like the amount of good cheer he carried with him. Oh, most of it was genuine. But Batman knew a mask when he saw one.   
  
“I do smile,” Bruce said and he left his console, crossing the floor toward Wally.   
  
His partner straightened on the chair, looking up as Bruce stood in front of him.   
  
“I'm not talking about for the cameras,” Wally said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Or when you're doing your billionaire philanthropist thing. There are times when you're happy, right?”   
  
Or what he meant to ask, with those bright green eyes, was 'are you happy with me?' And there was a simple, easy answer to that.   
  
“Yes,” Bruce murmured, leaning down toward Wally. He meant to kiss the speedster on the forehead, but Wally tipped his head up instead and well, Bruce was not one to ignore an enthusiastically given invitation. Especially not one he wanted to accept.   
  
Their lips brushed together, chaste at first, but Wally was hungry in this, as all things, and he deepened the kiss. His tongue teased the seam of Bruce's lips before pushing within, sharing the flavor of the two packs of cookies Alfred had left for him. Oreos, judging by the chocolate and cream.   
  
Wally made a happy noise in his throat, the chair squeaking beneath him. Bruce was almost tempted to leave his work aside for the night and take Wally upstairs.   
  
But then his console beeped, the search algorithm completed, and a list of three potential locations popped up on the screen. Duty called.   
  
Bruce ended the kiss, ignoring the scuff of shoes against concrete as Wally protested.   
  
“I could take care of it,” Wally said with a waggle of his eyebrows. “Be back super quick. Then both of us could call it a night.”   
  
Bruce snorted. “And let rumors of the Flash moving to Gotham perpetuate again? I don't need the Trickster wandering my way for a second time.” Honestly, two jokester villains in Gotham was two too many. He had his hands full with the Joker without adding the Trickster's convoluted plans to the mix.  
  
Wally put on a fake frown, a pout that had far more draw than it should have. And Bruce really was tempted. The matter at hand was more one of financial loss than any true danger. But if he let himself be swayed by Wally every time, well, he'd never get anything done. It would only get easier and easier to convince himself to take it easy and that, Bruce couldn't abide.   
  
“I'll be back as quick as I can,” he said, pulling his cowl back into place. “The night is young.” For Batman anyway. It was barely midnight.   
  
Wally fixed him with an affectionate smile. “I know.” He never complained, which might have been the most surprising thing of all.   
  
Bruce's previous lovers liked to claim they understood what they were getting into, but all of them left eventually. Maybe they thought they could fix him. Maybe they thought they would be the ones to change his dedication. But Wally didn't try. He just accepted Bruce, compromised, and didn't push.   
  
Bruce looked at him, a warmth blossoming inside, and sometimes, he dared give it a name. Not one he spoke aloud, but acknowledging it was half the battle. But words were a problem.   
  
So Bruce stole another kiss, let it linger compared to the other one, and then forced himself to leave, carrying the taste of Wally with him.   
  
_Spin squeak spin._  
  
He didn't have to look behind him to know that Wally was grinning from ear to ear.

 

****


End file.
